Hugh rowlands



(No Model.) H. ROWLANDS.

MOP. V 4 No. 571,246. Patented Flc. N

'NITED STAT S ATENT Fries.

IIUGII ROlVLANDS, OF TY CRISTION, ENGLAND.

MOP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 571,246, dated. November 10, 1896.

Application filed April 2, 1896. Serial No. 585,956. (No model.) Patented in England April 18, 1894, No. 7,661.

' T aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HUGH ROWLANDS, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain,residing in Ty Oristion, near Valley, in the county of Anglesea, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mops, (for which I have obtained a patent in Great Britain hearing date April 18, 1894:, No. 7,661,) of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mops, and has for its object certain improvements designed to overcome difficulties which are experienced in mops as ordinarily constructed.

It is found in many mops as ordinarily constructed that the mode of attachment of the mop proper to the handle is objectionable inasmuch as it is not possible to get a distributed pressure between the mop and the floor, and also because such mops cannot be freed of moisture by wringing by hand, but have to be rotated rapidly to expel the moisture by centrifugal action, an operation which is not permissible when the mops are used indoors in the place of floor-cloths. If the mop as ordinarily constructed be made sufliciently hard and solid to give an even pressure, it is found that it cannot be wrung by hand, or if it be made loose and long so as to be adapted to be wrung by hand, then the end of the handle presses on the floor and it is impossible to distribute the pressure of the mop proper on the floor. I overcome these objections by providing a skeleton frame or holder which may be permanently attached to the handle and to which the mop proper is detachably secured. By means of this construction I am able to make the strands of the mop sufficiently long and soft to allow of effective wringing by hand, which is further facilitated by the skeleton shape of the holder, which admits of the insertion of the hand from above to effectually grip the mop while wringing.

A mop constructed according to my invention may be used much in the same way that a floor-cloth is used by hand, the function of the holder resembling that of the hand in distributing the pressure, and in this respect it is a great improvement on the ordinary form of mop in which the pressure is concen trated at the end of the handle.

I have illustrated my invention in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure I shows the mop in elevation; Fig. II, the holder in plan, the mop proper and handle being removed. Figs. III and IV show details of the fastenings.

It will be seen that the holder consists of a skeleton framework of metal, preferably wrought-iron galvanized, adapted to be secured to the handle either by a prong which enters the handle or by a socket into which the handle is inserted. The framework consists of a central piece 1, which forms the prong 2 at one end and which is bifurcated at the other end for attachment to the peripheral piece 3, which is usually made of wire bent to the form shown. The mop is attached to the central piece 1 by means either of a screwi, provided with a nut 5 and washer 6, as shown in Fig. IV, or by means of a helical prong 7, as shown in Fig. III. The mop proper is made by stitching pieces 8 of flannel, cloth, thrums, yarn, or the like, together with a top covering of cloth 9, as shown in Fig. I. \Vhen the mop is attached as shown in Fig.1V, a hole is made in the centerof the mop, (which latter may be sold separately,) into which hole the screw% is inserted, or when fixed as shown in Fig. III the point where the prong 7 is to be inserted is clearly marked. The framework or holder is attached to the handle 10 by the prong 2, and is provided with a barb 11, which prevents the mop proper from turning when it is once screwed on.

In wringing the mop by hand the fingers and thumb of the left hand are inserted on each side of the piece 1 and inside the peripheral piece 3, and a good grip of the mop is so obtained, which en ables the mop so be effectually wrung out with the right hand.

The holder also serves to guide the mop along skirtings and the like.

It will be seen that the holder is light and of cheap construction and that an old mop can easily be replaced by a new one.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In combination in a mop, the handle, a holder having a central point of attachment for the mop material, and a peripheral bearing ring or portion extending about the central point and connected therewith, and the mop materialsecured to the central point and arranged to be borne upon by the peripheral point of attachment and spreading from this central point to be borne upon by the peripheral portion, substantially as described.

3. In combination with the mopping niaterial and the. handle, the holder, which consists of a bifurcated central portion 1, provided with a prong 2 for attachment to the handle and a helical prong 7 whereby the mopping material is detachably secured, and

"a peripheral portion 3 attached to the main and bifurcated parts of the central portion 1, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HUGH ROWLANDS.

IVitnesses:

J. E. LLOYD BARNES, J osEPH E., AIRST. 

